Ignition distributor



April 3, I946. I J. R. HARKNEss' 2,399,023

' IGNITION DISTRIIBUTOR Filed Nov. 23, 1942 Inventor: Joseph R. Harkness,

His Attorneg.

Patented Apr. 23, 1946 IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR Joseph R. Harkness, Schenectady, N.'Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation oi New York Application November 23, 1942, Serial No. 466,609

11 Claims. (Cl. 200-19) My invention relates to ignition distributors of the jump-spark type.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved ignition distributor.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent and my invention will be better understood from the following description referring to the accompanying drawing, and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an ignition distributor, partly broken away, illustrating an embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the jump-spark terminals shown inFig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown an ignition distributor of the jump-spark type including a housing l within which an insulating mounting member II is arranged. The insulating member II is provided with an insulating supporting plate on which a plurality of circumferen-tially spaced apart electrodes i2 is mounted. Each of these electrodes I2 is formed of insulating material and provided with a terminal 13 of electrically conductive material adapted to be connected to a distributor lead for connection to ignition devices, such as spark-plugs. The electrode terminals l3 receive an electrical charge from a suitable source of electrical power supply, such as magneto, through a magneto coil terminal connector l4 arranged within the insulating mounting member H and extending through a central opening IS in the upper cap portion thereof. A rotatable distributor arm I6 of insulating material is adapted to be driven by a shaft I'l through a gear l8 at a predetermined speed relative to the speed of the engine in the ignition system to which the distributor is connected. The distributor arm I6 is provided with a terminal I! which extends through the arm l6 and forms an electrical contact with the magneto conductor terminal I 4 through a contact button element 20 which is insulated from the shaft H. The magneto is an alternating current source of electrical power supply and, therefore, provides for the sequential distribution of current of opposite electrical potential to adjacent electrode terminals 13, and under certain atmospheric conditions, it has been found difficult to obtain the proper breakdown of the gap between the distributor arm terminal I! and the electrode terminals Hi. In order to assure the proper discharge between these terminals under varying pressure conditions, I provide an auxiliary electrode 2| having an exciter point 22 arranged radially spaced substantially within the gap between the distributor arm terminal I9 and the electrode terminals l3. In order to obtain the desired discharge between these terminals I9 and I3, the auxiliary electrode 2| is made to have a small amount of electrostatic capacity such that the discharge through the spark gap between the terminals l9 and i3 charges the electrode 2! at the potential of the discharge. The auxiliary electrode 2| is arranged to be rotated substantially in synchronism with the distributor arm It by being mounted on an insulating finger 23 formed on the end of the arm I6. Thus, the auxiliary electrode "M is charged to a given potential by a spark discharge through the gap between the terminal I9 and a terminal 13, and this charge on the auxiliary electrode is of opposite electrical potential to the potential of the distributor arm terminal 19 when it is rotated to a position adjacent the next electrode terminal l3. This reduces the effective gap through which the spark is required to discharge from the distributor arm terminal l9, as the ignition discharge is required initially to jump only the gap between the terminal l9 and the exciter point 22 of the auxiliary electrode 2|. This provides for sequentially initiating an electrical discharge between the distributor arm terminal I 9 and the electrode terminals I3, thereby assuring the discharge through the spark gap at the desired instant.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention; modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that my invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangement disclosed, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and. desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An ignition system distributor having a plurality of spaced apart electrode terminals, means including a rotatable arm including an insulating portion and having a terminal for Sequentially distributing current of opposite electric potential to adjacent electrode terminals, and means mounted on said arm insulating portion and insulated thereby from ground and from said arm terminal and having electrostatic capacity for reducing the effective gap and for initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal andisaid electrode terminals.

2. An ignition distributor having a plurality of spaced apart electrode terminals, rotatable means having a terminal for sequentially distributing current of opposite electrical potential to adjacent electrode terminals, and means including an auxiliary electrode arranged to be rotatable substantially in synchronism with said rotatable means terminal for sequentially initiating an electrical discharge between said rotatable means terminal and said electrode terminals.

3. An ignition distributor having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart electrode terminals, means including a rotatable arm having a terminalfor sequentially distributing current of opposite electrical potential to adjacent electrode terminals, and means including an auxiliary electrode arranged to be rotatable substantially in synchronism with said distributor arm terminal for sequentially initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals on rotation of said arm.

4. An ignition system distributor having a plurality oi circumferentially spaced apart electrode terminals, means including a rotatable arm having a terminal for sequentially distributing current of opposite electric potential to adjacent electrode terminals, and means including an auxiliary electrode having electrostatic capacity and being carried by said arm for initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals.

5. An ignition distributor having a plurality of circumi'erentially spaced apart electrode terminals supported by an insulating element, means including a rotatable arm including an insulating portion and having a terminal ior seouentially distributing current of opposite electrical potential to adjacent electrode terminals, and means mounted on said arm insulating portion and insulated thereby from. ground and from said arm terminal and arranged to be rotatable substantially in synchronism with said distributor arm terminal ior reducing the effective gap and for sequentially initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals on rotation of said arm.

6. An ignition distributor having a plurality of spaced apart electrode terminals, means including a rotatable arm having a terminal for sequentially distributin current of opposite electrical potential to adjacent electrode terminals, and means including an auxiliary electrode arranged to be rotatable substantially in synchro nism with said distributor arm terminal between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals for sequentially initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals on rotation of said arm.

'7. An ignition jump-spark type distributor having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart electrode terminals supported by an insulating element adapted to distribute an alternating current from a source of electrical power supply, means including a rotatable arm including an insulating portion and having a terminal for sequentially distributing current of opposite electrical potential to adjacent electrode terminals from said alternating current source of electrical power supply, and means mounted on said arm insulating portion and insulated thereby from ground and from said arm terminal and arranged to be rotatable substantially in synchronism with said distributor arm terminal for reducing the eflective gap and for sequentially initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals.

8. An ignition system distributor having a plurality oi? circumferentially spaced apart electrode terminals adapted to distribute an alternating current from a source of electrical power supply, means including a rotatable arm having a terminal for sequentially distributing to ignition devices connected to said electrode terminals current from said alternating current source of electrical power supply of opposite electrical potential to adjacent terminals, and means including an auxiliary electrode for sequentially initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals.

9. An ignition system distributor having a plurality of circumierentially spaced apart electrode terminals adapted to distribute an alternating current from a source of electrical power supply, means including a rotatable arm having a terminal for sequentially distributing to ignition devices connected to said electrode terminals cur rent from said alternating current source of elec trical power supply of opposite electrical potential to adjacent terminals, and means including an auxiliary electrode carried by said arm and insulated from said arm terminal for sequentially initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals on rotation of said arm.

10. An ignition system distributor having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart electrode terminals adapted to distribute an alternating current from a source of electrical power supply, means including a rotatable arm having a terminal for sequentially distributing to ignition devices connected to said electrode terminals current from said alternating current source of electrical power supply of opposite electrical po tential to adjacent terminals, and means including an auxiliary electrode having electrostatic capaclty and being carried by said arm insulated from said arm terminal and radially between saicl arm terminal and said electrode terminals for initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals.

11. An ignition system distributor having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart electrode terminals adapted to distribute an alternating current from a source of electrical power supply, means including a rotatable arm having a terminal for sequentially distributing to ignition devices connected to said electrode terminals current from said alternating current source of electrical power supply of opposite electric potential to adjacent terminals, and means including an auxiliary electrode having electrostatic capacity and being carried by said arm insulated from said arm terminal and radially between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals for initiating an electrical discharge between said arm terminal and said electrode terminals.

JOSEPH R. HARKNESS, 

